River Silicon Stoichiometry FY26 Working Group
Flood Impacts FY26 Working Group
New Data for Hazards Models FY26 Working Group
Metal Subsidy Stress FY26 Working Group
Water Cycle Synchrony (CUAHSI) FY26 Working Group
Contaminant Food Webs FY26 Working Group
John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
Offering the opportunity for emergent knowledge in Earth system science through collaborative analysis and synthesis.
Working Group Resources
Working Group Resources
Information for working group leaders, visitors to the Powell Center, travel information, data resources, and the Powell Center Acknowledgement.
Proposal Process
Proposal Process
Instructions and resources for submitting proposals and accepted working groups.
News
Call for Proposals and How-To Seminar
Call for Proposals and How-To Seminar
Powell Center Working Groups - Class of 2027
Powell Center Working Groups - Class of 2027
Powell Center Seminar: Beyond waves and shifting sand: considering ecosystem processes in forecasts of coastal landscape change
Powell Center Seminar: Beyond waves and shifting sand: considering ecosystem processes in forecasts of coastal landscape change
Publications
Creating 3D point clouds, digital elevation models, and orthomosaics from historical aerial imagery through structure from motion aided photogrammetry Creating 3D point clouds, digital elevation models, and orthomosaics from historical aerial imagery through structure from motion aided photogrammetry
Detailed and accurate historical data are crucial to characterizing landscape change, whether it is caused by natural phenomena or of anthropogenic origin. Aerial imagery has been periodically collected by government and nongovernment agencies, for a broad range of purposes, since the early 20th century. The acquisition of aerial images involves using standardized equipment with large...
Global carbon investment in terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation Global carbon investment in terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation
Biological nitrogen (N) fixation (BNF) provides the N needed to produce proteins and other biological building blocks, helping feed humanity and mitigate climate change. Due to its high energetic cost compared to other forms of N acquisition, biotic investment in BNF indicates N limitation. Globally gridded BNF flux data provide an opportunity to determine the energetic investment in BNF...
Hierarchical mixture models and high-resolution monitoring data can inform siting and operational strategies to mitigate bat fatalities at wind turbines Hierarchical mixture models and high-resolution monitoring data can inform siting and operational strategies to mitigate bat fatalities at wind turbines
Bats provide critical ecosystem services, but bat fatalities due to wind energy development may imperil some bat populations. Statistical models are used to estimate the total fatalities that occur based on carcasses observed during monitoring surveys. Current models often estimate fatalities aggregated across species, time, and/or turbines, but fall short of reliably informing siting...
Science
Synthesizing methane fluxes, isotopes, and microbiomes to better understand the dynamics and consequences of permafrost thaw in a sensitive and strategic Arctic
This interdisciplinary working group will bring together leading experts in microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, isotope science, remote sensing, and ecosystem modeling to synthesize how Arctic ecosystems are responding to changes in microbial and landscape processes.
Towards an integrated multi-scale understanding of dryland plant traits with application to land management
This proposed project brings together scientists, federal agencies, and land managers to improve the monitoring and management of dryland ecosystems in the western United States.
A digital twin to accelerate volcano science and unify geodetic and seismic observations
Emerging computational and data assimilation approaches and increasing data volumes imply an opportunity to greatly accelerate both fundamental volcano science and hazard assessment and forecasting.